Beccafico Sardines
Simple food is always the best and allow me say that this recipe for Sardine in Beccafico style proves it. Beccafico is a Sicilian recipe, made in different ways depending on the town: in Palermo the sardines are rolled with breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, pine nuts, raisins and a teaspoon of sugar and baked with laurel leaves and lemon, in Messina they are rolled with the soft inside of the bread and the addition of capers and then fried, and in Catania they also add caciocavallo cheese and the sardines are not rolled but put one over the other and fried. There is also a fourth version, a Beccafico Skewer, with rolled sardines alternated with laurel leaves and a wedge of onion.
I honestly don't know which is The Original with capital O, anyhow, I think one can adapt this recipe to their own taste and preferences. I prefer to bake the fish, and make it crunchy thanks to the breadcrumbs. Herbs, raisins, pine nuts and citrus add more flavor and in less than ten minutes we can put on the table something truly delicious. Quick, easy and healthy.
Find my recipe below and let me know if you like it :)
RECIPE
BECCAFICO SARDINES
Ingredients (for 2 people)
1/2 kilo sardines, cleaned and deboned
breadcrumbs
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup pine nuts
dill
1 organic orange
e.v.o.oil
Method:
Leave the raisins soaking in water for about 15 minutes, toast the pine nuts and prepare your breadcrumbs.
Slice the orange in two, grate some zests, squeeze half of it and combine the juice with a few drops of e.v.o.oil and cut the other half lengthwise and the in half again, so you obtain small orange triangles.
Place the sardines with the skin downwards on your working surface. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs, and add the raisins, pine nuts, orange zests and dill.
Roll the sardines from head to bottom and place them onto a greased baking pan with the tail upwards. Add more breadcrumbs, raisins, pine nuts and dill, gently pour the orange and oil mixture and bake for about 6/7 minutes at 180°.
Once ready, serve hot and garnish the plate with the fresh orange triangles.
